Ridge beam hanger



Nov. 5, .1963 J. E. DONLIN RIDGE BEAM HANGER Filed NOV. 1'7. 1960 IN V EN TOR. @HNZ Dozvzzzv M M 4 7' TOENE Y United States Patent 3,109,268 RIDGE BEAM HANGER .lohn E. Donlin, Excelsior, Minn, assignor to Contemporary Structures, Inc, Excelsior, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed Nov. 17, 1960, Ser. No. 69,851} 10 Claims. (Cl. 2094) This invention relates to roof construction. More particularly it relates to a construction unit which has come to be known in the trade as a ridge beam hanger which is utilized in constructing roofs.

It is a general object of my invention to provide a novel and improved roof structure of simple and inexpensive construction and increased load bearing capacity.

A more specific object is to provide a novel and improved roof structure which has substantially increased load bearing capacity and is relatively easy to construct and assemble.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved and simple roof construction the load bearing capacity of which is substantially greater than the capacity of heretofore known similar structures as a result of the unique arrangement of the connecting means of the elements thereof.

Another object is to provide novel, simple and improved roof structure which is constructed and arranged to substitute tensile strength for shearing strength and thereby substantially increase the load bearing capacity thereof.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following description, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of the same, including a diagrammatic illustration of the forces applied to the lug.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 3-5 of FIG. 2.

One embodiment of my invention as shown in FIGS. 1-3 includes a ridge beam 5 which as shown is laminated and has an upper element 6 thereof shaped to conform to the pitch of the roof designated by the numeral 7. A pair of rafters 8, or joints as they are sometimes called, have inner end portions 8a which abut against the sides of the beam 5 and have upper surfaces 8!) which conform to the pitch of the roof. These upper surfaces are slightly recessed to accommodate a metal angled plate 9 which lies flush upon the upper surface of the element 6 and the upper surfaces 8b of the rafters 8 as shown in the drawlugs.

The metal plate 9 has end portions 9a and 9b which extend in opposite directions and are provided with diagonally extending apertures to accommodate one of a pair of lugs each of which has been designated by the numeral It It will be noted that each of the lugs has a lower end portion reversed upon itself to form a loop or eye 11 and that these lugs extend longitudinally of the rafters 8 and have upper end portions which are threaded and extend upwardly through the apertures in the end portions 9a and 9b of the plate 9. Extending transversely of the rafters 8 through the eye 11 of the lug is an anchor pin 12 which anchors each of the lugs to one of the rafters 8. It will be noted that the anchor pin 12 and the lug 10 are contained entirely within the rafters 8 except for the threaded upper end portion which extends upwardly through the plate 9.

The upper ends of the lugs 10 are each secured to the plate 9 by a pair of threaded nuts =13. A shouldered cap 3 ,1 @SLZ 0-8 washer 14 is carried by each of the lugs between the upper surface of the plate 9 and its associated nuts 13. These shouldered cap washers have a bevelled shoulder 14a which bears against the upper surface of the plate 9 and an opposite end surface 14b which extends normal to the longitudinal axis of the lug 10.

In practice the lugs 10 may be fitted within the inner end portions of the rafters 8 by either providing for their positioning during the construction of the laminated rafters or else by drilling into the inner end portion of the rafter 8 and placing the lugs 10 therein and then drilling transversely so as to insert the anchor pins 12 and subsequently placing dowel caps in the transverse opening made to accommodate the anchor pin 12 as indicated by the numeral 15.

I have found that if a roof structure is constructed in accordance with my invention the load bearing capacity thereof is very substantially increased. The load bearing capacity is certainly more than doubled through the utilization of my invention for the strain upon the connecting members, which in the instant case are the lugs 10, is borne by tensile strength rather than shear strength as is the case in roof structures commonly known. It will be noted that I have arranged the lugs 10 so as to extend generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters which is a consequence of the angulation of the roof and the fact that it is supported at its outer end by an upstanding wall which can yield outwardly. 'For the sake of convenience I have illustrated the forces in FIG. 2 which by correlation with the angles between the rafters, the lugs and the force of gravity as shown in the drawings, readily illustrates how I utilize the tensile strength of the lugs rather than its shear strength. Consequently the resulting roof structure has a load bearing capacity far in excess of any heretofor known.

The shouldered cap washer 14- insures that the weight carried by the lug 10 is applied evenly to the plate 9 and eliminates the tendency to sheer the lug 10.

After the ridge beam and rafters and the plate 9 have been assembled by means of the lugs 10 as shown in the drawings, the conventional .Wood deck indicated by the numeral 16 can be app-lied with provisions for the nuts 13 and the shouldered cap washer 14 being made as shown. The insulation 17 may thereafter be applied to the Wood deck to complete the roof structure.

The advantages of my roof structure, in addition to the fact that the load bearing capacity is greatly increased is that a roof structure of this type is easier and simplier to assemble and erect. Its assembly and erection involves considerably less labor and is less expensive from an overall cost standpoint. In addition it has asethetic advantages in that it eliminates exposed clips, hangers, ridgepurlin connectors, etc. and various metal plates which are often used in connecting rafters and ridge beams and it eliminates voids between the rafters adjacent the top of the ridge beam.

It will be appreciated of course that the angulation of the lugs 10 is dependent upon the roof pitch and that the lugs 10 extends more and more longitudinally of the rafters 8 as the roof pitch increases.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the pants without departing from the scope of my invention which consists of the matter shown and described herein and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed laminated rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having inner end portions bearing there against at an angle thereto adjacent the upper surface thereof and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, a metal plate supported by said ridge beam and having an angular under surface shaped to conform to the upper surfaces of said ridge beam and said inner end portions of said rafters and resting flush thereupon, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and being disposed entirely within the confines thereof except for a relatively short upper end portion thereof, one each of said lugs being disposed within one of said rafter inner end portions and having its upper end portion extending outwardly therefrom toward the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, said upper end portions of said lugs being threaded, a pair of transverse anchor pins one each of which extends transversely through the lower end of one of said lugs and transversely of its associated rafter and being disposed entirely therewithin, a pair of threaded nuts one each of which is threaded onto the upper end portion of one of said lugs and secures the same to said plate and holds said plate and the associated rafter snugly against said beam, and a pair of shouldered cap Washers having a beveled end surface extending parallel to the upper surface of said plate and bearing against said plate and an opposite end surface extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of its associated lug.

'2. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having adjacent end portions with upper surfaces disposed adjacent said beam and extending at an angle thereto and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, a metal plate supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said rafters and said beam and having angular portions bearing against and along the upper surface of said rafters, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and being disposed entirely within the confines thereof except for a relatively short outer end portion thereof, one each of said lugs being disposed within one of said rafters inner end portions and having its upper end portion extending outwardly therefrom towards the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, said upper end portion of said lug being threaded, a pair of transverse anchor pins one each of which extends transversely through the inner end of one of said lugs and transversely of its associated rafter and being disposed entirely therewithin, a pair of threaded nuts one each of which is threaded onto the upper end portion of one of said lugs and secures the same to said plate and holds said plate and the associated rafter snugly together, a pair of cap washers one each of which is carried by the upper end portion of each of said lugs between said plate and the nut threaded onto the lug, each of said cap Washers having a beveled end surface extending parallel to the upper surface of said plate and bearing against said plate and having an opposite end surface extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of its associated lu-g, said lug extending at an acute angle relative to said plate and longitudinally of said rafter whereby the maximum load bearing limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

3. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed laminated rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having inner end portions bearing thereagainst adjacent the upper surface thereof and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, an angled metal plate supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said ridge beam and said rafters, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and being disposed entirely within the confines thereof except for a relatively short upper end portion thereof, one each of said lugs 4: being disposed Within one of said rafter inner end portions and having its upper end portion extending outwardly therefrom toward the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, said upper end portions of said lugs being threaded, a pair of transverse anchor pins one each of which extends transversely through the lower end of one of said lugs and transversely of its associated rafter and being disposedentirely therewithin, and a pair of threaded nuts one each of which is threaded onto the upper end portion of one of said lugs and secures the same to: said plate and holds said plate and the associated rafter snugly against said beam whereby the maximum load limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

47 A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed laminated rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having adjacent inner end portions disposed adjacent said ridge beam and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom-in opposite directions, an angled metal plate supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said ridge beam and said rafters and bearing against the upper surface of the latter, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and being disposed entirely within the confines thereof except for a relatively short upper end portion thereof, one each of said lugs being disposed within one of said rafter inner end port-ions and having its upper end portion extending outwardly therefrom toward the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, a pair of transverse anchor pins one each of which extends transversely through the lower end of one of said lugs and transversely of its associated rafter and being disposed entirely therewithin, and means for rigidly securing the upper end portions of said lugs to said metal plate to hold said plate and the associated rafter snugly together whereby the maximum load bearing limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

5. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having upper end portions bearing thereagainst adjacent the upper surface thereof and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, an angled metal plate supported by said ridge beam and having portions thereof extending in opposite directions and resting upon the upper end portions of said rafters, a pair of logs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results rom the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and being disposed entirely within the confines thereof except for relatively short upper end portions thereof, each of said lugs being disposed within one of said rafter inner end portions and having its upper end portions extending outwardly therefrom toward the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, means for anchoring the lower end of each of said lugs to one of said rafters, and means for fixedly securing the upper end portions of said lugs to said angled metal plate whereby the maximum load bearing limits of the construction imit is greatly increased.

6. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a a

pair of opposed rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having inner end portions adjacent each other and said ridge beam and extending outwardly and downwardly from the latter in opposite directions, a metal plate supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said ridge beam and said rafters and having portions thereof bearing against the upper surface of the latter, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters and each having a lower end fixedly secured to one of said rafters and extending upwardly longitudinally thereof and each having its upper of said lug being threaded, a pair of threaded nuts one each of which is threaded onto the upper end portion of one of said lugs and secures the same to said plate and holds said plate and the associated rafters snugly together, and a pair of shouldered cap washers one each of which is carried by one of said lugs between its associated nut and said plate, each of said cap washers having a beveled end surface extending parallel to the upper surface of said plate and bearing against said plate and an opposite end surface extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of its associated lug.

7. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having inner adjacent end portions adjacent said beam and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, a metal plate supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said rafters and said beam having portions thereof resting upon the upper surface of said rafters, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters, one each of said lugs having a lower end portion and an upper end portion, the upper end portion of each of said lugs extending upwardly toward the opposed rafter and lug and through said metal plate, said upper end portions of said lugs being threaded, means for fixedly securing the lower end portions of one each of said lugs to one of said rafters at a point disposed below said plate, and means for fixedly securing said threaded end portions of said lugs to said metal plate whereby the maximum load bearing limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

8. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed rafters disposed at opposite sides of said beam and having inner end portions abutting thereagainst with the upper surface thereof flush with the upper surface of said beam and extending outwardly and downwardly therefrom in opposite directions, a rigid plate member supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said ridge beam and said rafters and having opposite end portions one each of which rests upon said rafter inner end portions, a pair of lugs extending longitudi- 6 nalrly of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters, one each of said lugs being anchored to one of said rafters and having an upper end portion extending upwardly longitudinally of the raiter to said plate member, and means rigidly securing said lug upper end portions to opposite end portions of said plate member whereby the maximum load limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

9. A construction unit comprising a ridge beam, a pair of opposed rafters extending transversely and outwardly and downwardly relative to said ridge beam and in opposite directions, a rigid plate member supported by said ridge beam and superimposed relative to said ridge beam and said rafters and having opposite end portions one each of which bears against the upper surface of the inner end portions of one of said rafters, a pair of lugs extending longitudinally of said rafters generally along the resultant line of force which results from the downward pull of gravity and the outward thrust along the rafters, one each of said lugs being anchored to the upper end portions of one of said rafters and extending longitudinally of said rafter to said plate member, and means for rigidly securing each of said lugs to its adjacent end portion of said plate member whereby the maximum load limit of the construction unit is greatly increased.

10. The structure defined in claim 9 wherein each of said lugs is secured to one of said ratfters at a point below the end portions of said plate member and each extends upwardly therefrom through the adjacent end of said plate member.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,611,943 Templeton Sept. 30, 1952 2,635,308 Crook Apr. 21, 1953 2,796,642 Woodworth June 25, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 234,523 Germany 1911 545,801 France 1922 275,481 Great Britain 1927 

1. A CONSTRUCTION UNIT COMPRISING A RIDGE BEAM, A PAIR OF OPPOSED LAMINATED RAFTERS DISPOSED AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BEAM AND HAVING INNER END PORTIONS BEARING THEREAGAINST AT AN ANGLE THERETO ADJACENT THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, A METAL PLATE SUPPORTED BY SAID RIDGE BEAM AND HAVING AN ANGULAR UNDER SURFACE SHAPED TO CONFORM TO THE UPPER SURFACES OF SAID RIDGE BEAM AND SAID INNER END PORTIONS OF SAID RAFTERS AND RESTING FLUSH THEREUPON, A PAIR OF LUGS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY GENERALLY ALONG THE RESULTANT LINE OF FORCE WHICH RESULTS FROM THE DOWNWARD PULL OF GRAVITY AND THE OUTWARD THRUST ALONG THE RAFTERS AND BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE CONFINES THEREOF EXCEPT FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT UPPER END PORTION THEREOF, ONE EACH OF SAID LUGS BEING DISPOSED WITHIN ONE OF SAID RAFTER INNER END PORTIONS AND HAVING ITS UPPER END PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY THEREFROM TOWARD THE OPPOSED RAFTER AND LUG AND THROUGH SAID METAL PLATE, SAID UPPER END PORTIONS OF SAID LUGS BEING THREADED, A PAIR OF TRANSVERSE ANCHOR PINS ONE EACH OF WHICH EXTENDS TRANSVERSELY THROUGH THE LOWER END OF ONE OF SAID LUGS AND TRANSVERSELY OF ITS ASSOCIATED RAFTER AND BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY THEREWITHIN, A PAIR OF THREADED NUTS ONE EACH OF WHICH IS THREADED ONTO THE UPPER END PORTION OF ONE OF SAID LUGS AND SECURES THE SAME TO SAID PLATE AND HOLDS SAID PLATE AND THE ASSOCIATED RAFTER SNUGLY AGAINST SAID BEAM, AND A PAIR OF SHOULDERED CAP WASHERS HAVING A BEVELED END SURFACE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID PLATE AND BEARING AGAINST SAID PLATE AND AN OPPOSITE END SURFACE EXTENDING AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF ITS ASSOCIATED LUG. 